Silence Is The Easiest Form of Punishment
by saltedapples
Summary: After Lisbon is in a catastrophic carcrash, she wakes from a coma to find out that the past year of her life has been a lie; she's still dating Pike, she is still angry at Jane, and she's not pregnant. Even worse, she can't speak. Set around 6X22 'Blue Bird'.
1. Chapter 1 - Prologue

A/N - Hey! I wrote this one a while back. I actually wrote it in chunks, therefore some of the timeline is missing. I honestly don't want to add in those missing parts, but I'll inform you of what has happened (that is, if there is a space of time between one chapter and the next). Basically, this began in 'Blue Bird'; just after Lisbon finds out Jane was tricking her, she catches the cab and tells Pike 'yes' to marriage. In that taxi, she gets into a car crash. So. Here we go. it continues from there. :) I promise it gets better looool.

* * *

 _"_ _You are?"_

 _"_ _I am."_

Lisbon couldn't keep the smile off her face. She overjoyed; she was so happy it hurt.

Her life had changed so much in the past year that it seemed ridiculous to think she'd be happy with anyone else but Patrick Jane. As they hugged one another, newlyweds, and expecting a child together, she murmured quiet "I love you"'s, which were returned just as quickly.

She wanted this moment to last forever, this picture perfect scene of soulmates embracing, overlooking their friends and family. The beautiful contrast of white against the darkened night, the feeling of Jane's tears dropping delicately onto her shoulder. In this moment, absolutely everything was _right._

"I love you, Teresa." Jane moved so he could see her face, her beautiful face.

All Lisbon could do was nod. She was shaking, overwhelmed with emotions. She smiled, as best as she could manage.

"Are you okay?" he asked, his eyes scanning her face.

She swallowed thickly. She had a lump in her throat, and her teeth were clenching uncontrollably. Eventually, she got a few words out. "Yeah… yeah. Just pregnancy hormones." Lisbon tried to smile again, but found she couldn't.

Jane gripped her hand. "Lisbon? Tell me what's wrong," he said, alarmed, but Lisbon couldn't hear him anymore. Her head was spinning. It wasn't happiness hurting her anymore - there was something… some…

* * *

"Ms Lisbon! Ms Lisbon, you're okay. You're okay. You are in hospital, and you have a tube down your throat right now. We can get it out if you stop moving."

Her eyes swivelled, senses overloaded. She couldn't breathe, she couldn't breathe and she was going to die because she couldn't-

"Teresa." His voice instantly stopped her movements and thoughts. _Jane_. She felt his hand squeeze hers, felt the coolness of his wedding band against her skin. She tried to look over at him, but he was out of her field of vision.

When Lisbon tried to saying something, she spluttered, and her panic started again.

This time, Jane moved, getting up onto the hospital bed. He kneeled on the mattress, leaning closer to her face. Lisbon could see that he was pale, that he hadn't shaved, and his hand was sweaty in hers. "Lisbon, it's okay. I'm here for you. I'm not leaving." He nodded, as if in confirmation. "Just look at me, okay? Don't pay any attention to anything else."

Lisbon stared at him, tears dripping from her eyes. _What was happening?_ But, even so, she nodded minutely in return.

But the second one of the doctors put a hand on her, she panicked again. She shifted her shoulders as a way of moving.

"Ms Lisbon, it is alright." The doctor moved so that he was standing next to the bed, directly in front of her. "This will only take a second, then you'll feel better." He was talking to her like a child, like a poor, helpless child. Which was exactly how she felt.

The doctor tentatively reached out to touch her free hand, the one attached to an I.V. drip. When Lisbon didn't shy from his touch, he squeezed her hand, before nodding to other doctors and nurses in the room.

As they pulled the breathing tube from her throat, and checked her stats and incision sites, the cause of which was still unknown to her, Jane didn't move his eyes from hers. Lisbon noticed he was wearing one of his island shirts, which was strange, seeing as he had started wearing vests again.

"Is there anyone I should inform that she's awake? A partner, or husband?" One of the nurses was holding a phone in her hand.

She nodded, pointing at Jane, trying to say that he was her _husband_. But Jane's answer…

"Yes, she has a boyfriend. Marcus Pike. His number should be on her phone, somewhere here." His voice faded as he grabbed her mobile from the window sill, and walked outside to make the call.

 _What?_ What the hell? Patrick was her partner, her husband, her everything. Why did he say Pike?

Her breath quickened again. She gripped the sides of the bed, trying to do something, _anything_. But her legs were stiff and sore, and her stomach was shooting white-hot pain. _She was stuck. She was imprisoned_.

Suddenly, everything went black.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N - Thanks for the immediate interest, guys! Means a lot. There is a now a large time gap.

* * *

 **Over the course of two months, Lisbon goes through physical and speech therapy. She is still in a relationship with Pike, technically, but she doesn't want him around. Instead, Jane is the one beside her all the time. Lisbon can't express her feelings adequately, that she doesn't want Pike, that she wants Jane. After finally finishing therapy, Jane brings Lisbon home. :)**

* * *

After they ate dinner, they both retreated to the couch. With Harry Potter playing in the background, and Jane within arm's reach, Lisbon felt significantly more comfortable than at the hospital, as well as feeling relaxed. Using the marker and notepad he'd given her, she kept writing abusive and funny messages to him, illuminating the text with her phone flashlight.

However, she had to remember to stop herself from drawing hearts and love declarations. It was still a hard fact to come by, so hard to swallow… it hurt so bad. She hated it. All she wanted was him.

But she couldn't put Jane in that position. She was technically still together with Pike, despite the fact she'd only seen him twice since she had woken from the coma, and she didn't want Jane to feel obligated to her, especially not after and because of all this.

"You okay?" he said, breaking her train of thought.

Lisbon looked up at him and nodded, not bothering to feign a smile. _Just tired._

"Well, an incredibly comfortable bed awaits you, my princess!" He jumped from the couch, stopping a minute to bow down in front of her, before he took her hand and pulled her from the cushions, already expecting the eye roll he received from Lisbon. He was glad to see that the Lisbon he knew and loved was returning.

 _God, he loved her._

When they reached the door of Lisbon's bedroom, Jane stopped in his tracks. "And here is where I leave thou, Princess Teresa." He kept his grip on her hand, and changed his tone to a more serious one. "I don't mean to impose this on you, but I don't really feel comfortable leaving you here alone, not on your first night back." He paused, figuring out how to best say it. "Is it okay if I-"

Lisbon cut him off by enveloping him in a hug. She had missed this. She had missed his hugs, how nice he smelled, the sound of his heartbeat. She sighed. This would do for now.

Jane kissed her forehead timidly. "Please wake me up if you need anything. Anything at all."

 _I just want you,_ she thought. _Just you_. But she settled with a soft nod. She inhaled, taking another breath of his scent, before she hesitantly let go of Jane.

There was so much she wanted to say to him. But, still, every time she opened her mouth, the words on the tip of her tongue, her brain froze, and she couldn't go through with it. Not even a simple "thank you". It was infuriating.

He sensed her anguish. "Lisbon, don't rush it. You'll get there eventually." He smiled weakly, reaching out to put his index finger against her chin so he could run his thumb along her cheek, before he exited into the living room again.

 _Eventually._

* * *

When she woke up the next morning, Jane was already in the kitchen, making pancakes, suit jacket off and sleeves rolled up. Coma Lisbon was still so unused to seeing Jane back in his island shirt. _Coma Lisbon was still so unused to everything._

"I hope you don't mind me ravaging your kitchen. Never really been in this place before now." _But he had_. But Lisbon forced a small smile, and shrugged her shoulders.

However, the differences between her life during the coma and her life now were starting to take a toll on her. While Jane had always known a million different facts about her, it was different when he had been her partner. It was unsettling now, having to remember that all the things she thought she knew about Jane were probably wrong. Her brain was overloaded and overworked.

Another thing that began to bother her was the fact that _they weren't married_. Every time Lisbon caught a glimpse of the golden band around his ring finger, her heart cried out in pain. She wasn't pregnant. They hadn't even kissed. Yet, while Jane treated her wonderfully, she didn't know the boundaries. She _wanted_ to kiss him, an affectionate thank you for him keeping her distracted, for being there for her ever since the accident - hell, ever since they'd met. But she couldn't.

And so, eventually, she cracked. After they'd had lunch (Lisbon managed to force Jane to sit down for fifteen minutes so she could make salad), they got into a surprisingly deep "conversation".

"Lisbon? Do you mind me asking something?"

She looked at him questioningly.

"Are you going to contact Pike soon?"

 _I don't know._

"Why are you so hesitant?"

Lisbon didn't know what to say to that. If she was to be honest, she didn't care about Pike anymore, not after she'd seen the future she could have with Jane. Pike had all but abandoned her; he hadn't even tried.

 _I don't know how to answer that._

Jane looked at her deeply, trying to read her mind.

 _Stop it, Jane._

"I just don't understand. Don't you want to go to DC with him?"

She wanted to scream the answer out. He was treading in dangerous territory. She sighed, closing her eyes momentarily.

 _I can't answer that, either._

"You can't answer that because you don't know, or you can't answer that because you're worried about how I'll react to the answer?"

 _You're confusing me._

"No, I'm not. Stop lying to me."

 _What makes you think you're in any position to know about my personal life, anyway?_

Jane stared at her, his face expressionless. Lisbon was 100% aware that she was taking this too far, that she was cutting deep just to hide from the truth of what was really going on.

"Oh, I don't know, Teresa," he said, his voice hard and sarcastic, "maybe since I was the one who has been there for you since the minute you woke up, through your recovery, and who is currently sitting across the table from you _in your house._ " Jane sat there for a second, realising what he had just said. He shook his head. "Crap. I'm sorry for saying that. I just want to make sure you're okay."

Lisbon stared at him, now. This was getting too much. She was overwhelmed with feelings.

 _Well, I'm not okay, Jane,_ she wrote with trembling fingers, tossing the book at him before she ran into the bathroom, locking the door behind her. Tears streamed down her face, and she scratched at them, leaving burning red streaks on her skin.

 _God dammit!_ she shouted internally. Why the hell had this happened to _her_? As if life hadn't been confusing enough before she'd been in the coma, it was now beyond ridiculous.

And she couldn't even talk! She felt like a helpless, lost child, stuck in her brain. She was useless, no help to anyone, not to Jane, not to Pike.

She kicked the door once, twice. She kept kicking it until her foot went numb, stupid gasps and whimpers all that escaped from her, not even a scream.

Hopeless. Absolutely hopeless. Lisbon sunk to the ground, pulling her knees up to her chin so she could bury her face in her arms. She cried in frustration, anger, exhaustion, desperation, and a hundred other things, until her eyes stung, and the sleeves of her hoodie was soaking wet. She ignored Jane's apologies and pleas to come out, wanting to block out the world. She was sick of this, and it had only been a few weeks. How would she survive the next few _years_. the unforeseeable future of being stuck between fiction and reality?

The sound of something sliding under the door startled her. She didn't bother to look over until she heard the sound again. Slowly, Lisbon reached out and grabbed a piece of paper, the one on top - the newest sheet.

"I'm so sorry. Please open the door, Teresa," it said in Jane's scrawl.

She turned over the leftover piece, the one Jane had pushed under first. It was written in smaller print.

"I'm sorry, Lisbon. I shouldn't have pushed you or pressured you. I'm sorry. Please, just tell me what I can do to help you. I'll do anything for you, Teresa."

Those words made her burst into another round of painful, bitter tears. But she needed him.

Just as Lisbon stood up, hovering her hand over the lock, another sheet of paper slid under the door.

"I'll leave you alone. I'm sorry for all of this. I'm sorry. I don't know what else to say. I don't know what you went through, what you're going through, and I can't pretend that I can tell what it is. I'll try my hardest to do whatever you need, to understand what you need, even if that means you go with Pike. I just want you to be happy, remember? Call me if you need me. I'll be there."

 _Even if that means you go with Pike_. Suddenly, all the events of the last few weeks before she was knocked out flooded back, pieced back together differently. If she was happy, he would be happy.

She needed him in order to be happy.

The familiar sound of the latch of the front door interrupted her epiphany. Lisbon unlocked the bathroom door, and ran through the house. He was just about to reach her car, about to get in and drive away.

She opened the front door. She needed him to stay. She needed _him._

He was about to leave.

"Jane!"


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N - WOW. These reviews though. Thank you so much! I've had one of the most mentally exhausting days at work today for various reasons, but coming on here is making me so happy. Seriously. Massive hugs to everyone.**  
 **I feel like I'm posting these chapters too fast... but I have so many fics I really want to finish so I can post them here for you guys. :)**

 **Enjoy, yo.**

* * *

 _She opened the front door. She needed him to stay. She needed him._

 _He was about to leave._

 _"_ _Jane!"_

* * *

It was music to his ears. The second her voice sounded, a symphony started in his brain. Somehow crystal clear, strong and loud, she had yelled his name out. It was the first word she had spoken since she'd woken up. The sound of summer rain; the crashing of waves; laughter; happiness. Her voice was so much more.

* * *

Somehow, as the words had gathered on the end of her tongue, her brain, for the first time, hadn't frozen. It hadn't stalled. It hadn't stopped her words - _word_ \- from coming out.

And suddenly, she had to say it all.

She ran out to Jane, aware she looked an absolute mess, but she didn't care.

"I love you!" she cried, her head buzzing, her lungs full.

He looked at her like a deer in headlights, now the one who was lost for words.

"I love _you_ , for God's sake! I love you, and only you. I love you because of Blue Birds, I love you because of orange blossom ice cream and bean soup and pillow mints and fine pickles, and I love you because of broken blue teacups and because of your vests. I love you because you protect me and choose me over Erica Flynn and would do anything to see me happy. I love you because this," she grabbed his left hand, holding up his ring finger, " _this_ , is our ring. I love you because you gave me my little yellow house and my two dances and because you don't need sylvan themes and because we're a team, and because you've saved me more times than I can count. I am completely and utterly in love with _you_ , Patrick Jane, and you're what I need to be happy. I love _you_."

Five seconds passed, where Lisbon took a deep breath, her heart and head racing, and where Jane stood and stared, dumb founded.

But then he grabbed her by the waist, looser on her right hip despite the fact that the long scar that was drawn into her skin didn't hurt anymore, and pulled her toward him. He didn't stop to look at her, desperate, instead just dipping his head to kiss her.

She was shocked. She hadn't expected him to react like this.

But she wasn't going to complain. Somehow, kissing real-life Jane was even _better_ than kissing Coma Jane.

Jane's arms slid around her back, pulling her closer, as Lisbon's hand wandered to his cheek. Even when she tried to stop momentarily for breath, Jane barely let her go, drawing her in tighter still. He didn't want to let go of her, didn't want to lose her. She was beautiful and all he ever wanted and they were kissing each other and were _finally_ together, so he couldn't let her go.

But he had to control himself. His kisses became softer, less mind-blowing and more affectionate and touching, and he steadied his breathing as best he could.

"I have no clue what the hell any of what you said means," he said softly, faces still so tantalisingly close together, "but I do know that I love you. I know that I love you too and you're my best friend, and my everything, and I lied, because even if you're happy, I can't be happy if you're not here." He kissed her again, before pulling her into a hug.

They stood there, in the light breeze of the day, both regaining their breath and coming to terms with what had just happened. Jane realised that tears of happiness were running down his face; a ridiculous amount of good things had just happened, and saying that he was over the moon was an understatement.

He sniffed, and moved his arms back to her waist. "Can we go inside and talk about this?" he asked, raising a hand to play with the strings of her hoodie. _Talk! She could finally talk!_

Lisbon nodded, smiling shyly. "It's complicated." She brushed away his tears.

He wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "Lucky I've got nowhere to be, huh?"

* * *

"So you're telling me… we got married? And you were pregnant?"

"Talk about moving fast, right?" She wiped away a few of her own tears this time. She'd just told Jane all about what had happened during her coma. It had taken a long time, considering, at one point, she hadn't been able to speak again, and had to write out her thoughts. And it still hurt. She had left a few parts out, like more about his CBI teacup birthday gift, and about just how exactly he'd proposed. She wanted to keep something to herself, a few private memories of her favourite moments.

"So that's why you were so weird around Pike," Jane pondered, remembering how Lisbon wouldn't even look at him, and eventually stopped allowing him into her hospital room. She had promised Jane that after she was out of hospital, she would apologise and go to DC with Pike; but, as luck would have it, it was a false promise the entire time. He added, "I can see the logic behind this entire facade, though."

"What do you mean?"

Jane sipped on the tea Lisbon had made him. "I know that I, most likely, would have followed you to the airport, like in your coma. I don't think I could have let you leave. And I think you kinda knew it, too."

She nodded, tracing patterns on the dining table. "It's just… so confusing. Everything I think I know is probably false. Including everything I think I know _about you_. My head constantly feels foggy."

He got up from his seat, walking over to crouch down next to Lisbon. "I want you to stop worrying, Teresa." He grabbed her hand. "I'm the one who has catching up to do."

"I know, but-"

"Stop." Jane pulled her from her seat. "I want to make this easier for you." He held her chin up so that they were looking eye to eye. "I don't care how long it takes, or how many times you ask me something or get confused. Ask me what you think you know about me, and I'll tell you if it's true or not."

Lisbon looked at him, caught in the gaze of his eyes. "Did you know that I really love you?"

Laughing, he kissed her. "So I've heard."

She decided to start off small. "True or false - you still own your vests."

He looked at her strangely. "True, but I don't see what this has to do with-"

"This is leading somewhere. True or false - if I, by chance, said that I liked your vests, would you, perhaps, start wearing them again? For me?"

"Is that a trick question?"

"I like the vests."

"Yeah… we'll see."

A little surge of courage ran through her. "True or false - you think I'm ticklish."

"False. I _know_ you're ticklish."

"I am not!" However, a simple poke in the side was all Lisbon needed to twitch. She rolled her eyes at him, but then bit her lip. "True or false -"

* * *

 **A/N #2 - As you can tell, I love fluff. Also, Lisbon's monologue is probably one of my favourite things I've ever written.**


	4. Chapter 4

A/N - Thanks for all the reviews :) You guys are life for me. Been having a few crappy days, but coming here makes me soooo happy! :)

* * *

Even though Lisbon's muteness would pop up again every so often, it normally lasted for a couple of hours at the most. However, when, a week later, she was rendered speechless for the better part of a day, she started to worry.

Jane had reassured her numerous times throughout the day that it would only last another hour, that it was just a fluke, that it didn't mean she would end up completely mute again.

But it hadn't helped. She was terrified of the hopeless feeling again, of being stuck in her brain.

She was mentally and physically exhausted, but she couldn't fall asleep, not even as she was wrapped up in Jane's arms. It must have been somewhere in the middle of the night when she slowly got out of bed, careful not to wake Jane, and went into the bathroom.

Jane _had_ woken up, though. He lay motionless on the mattress, listening for any sounds. He'd heard her close the door behind her, but she didn't turn on the light.

After nearly ten minutes of absolute silence, he got up. He had to check on her. With bleary eyes, he padded down the hall to the bathroom. Ear upon the door, he couldn't hear anything other than a few unintelligible sounds. He didn't know whether to knock or call out her name.

In the end, he did neither. He quietly opened the door, which had been left unlocked this time. At first, he couldn't see anything in the pitch darkness. But, after turning on the light, he found her, back against the bath, arms locked around her shins. Her face was buried into her knees, but even an idiot could tell she was crying.

"Oh, Lisbon," he said softly. He sat down next to her, wrapping an arm around her. She sniffled, but otherwise didn't respond. "You'll be okay, Lisbon. This doesn't mean it's come back again."

She moved to bring her hands up to her eyes. She shook her head, but, even so, shuffled her body so she was leaning against Jane.

He used his free hand to brush his fingers through her hair. "You suffered a brain injury. There is going to be kinks in the road. The neurologist said to expect this to happen a few times, remember?"

She nodded. After her first two-hour long silence, they'd revisited the hospital to make sure everything was okay, which, apparently, it was. It hadn't put her mind at rest, however; rather, it made her feel more anxious, just awaiting the next attack.

"If it makes you feel better, I'll take you back to him in the morning." He was still speaking softly, trying to make her as calm and comfortable as possible. He kissed her temple. "What ever will make this easier."

She nodded again, this time moving her head up from her knees to look at him. She felt, and probably looked miserable, so upset and disappointed in herself. But Jane was her light. Lisbon wiped her eyes with her sleeve before she wrapped her own arm around Jane. She kissed his cheek, then lightly grabbed his chin, turning his face so they were looking directly at each other. Jane knew she was asking him to read her.

"I know, Teresa. I love you too."

Lisbon leaned forward and kissed him gently.

* * *

She wasn't able to fall asleep even after he calmed her down. They'd migrated to the couch, where they'd cuddled up with each other and turned on the TV to 'The Wizard of Oz'. Jane had fallen asleep not long after.

He was roused by the smell of chamomile in the air. He flicked his eyes open, weak sunlight filling his vision. He turned his head and found Lisbon tucked up next to him, sipping a mug of tea.

"Hey," Jane said quietly, his voice rough with sleep. Lisbon smiled meekly, reaching over to the coffee table to pass him his own mug of steaming tea. He took a swig. "Have you-"

She shook her head before he finished talking, shrugging simultaneously.

"And you haven't slept yet either, right?" This time, Lisbon didn't answer. He noticed her eyes were bloodshot, bordered with dark bags. Jane knew it was at least 24 hours since she'd last slept. "Don't fret, okay? It'll all be fine." He reached out with his free hand, lifting her chin to kiss her on the lips. "Let me take a shower, then we'll go back to the hospital."

Lisbon nodded, relaxing into the couch as Jane got up. She was absolutely exhausted, but every time she closed her eyes, her brain sprung into overdrive, filled with worries and doubts. As she got up to put her empty mug in the sink, she was silently ( _huh!_ ) praying that the chamomile would knock her out.

Unfortunately, it seemed her fatigued brain couldn't process two things at once; just before she stepped into the kitchen, Lisbon tripped over her own feet.

"Shit!" she exclaimed as the cup shattered into large fragments on the floor. She started to carefully pick up the shards before she realised something. Shocked, and with a piece of mug in her hand, she whispered "I can talk?", her voice tiny but steady. Suddenly, the fragment of cup dropped onto the tiles again, as Lisbon ran through the house.

"Jane! Jane!" she shouted, pushing the door of the bathroom open.

"Teresa? What's wrong?" he asked immediately, beginning to turn off the hot water, but was stopped as Lisbon pulled open the glass door of the shower, immediately drenching herself.

She beamed up at him. "I love you!" she said loudly, laughing at the surprise on Jane's face. She must have seemed mad, absolutely mad (which, to be honest, she probably was at this stage), but she didn't care. The relief she felt at being able to literally voice her thoughts, to say a simple 'yes' or 'no', was something she took for granted all too often. She pulled his face towards hers, and whispered, "I love you so, so much," and kissed him.

Still startled, Jane managed to turn off the water blindly. Once that was managed, he kissed her lovingly back, only retreating to pull a towel around his waist. "Your voice! I told you!" He hugged her tight, her clothes completely soaked, and his hair dripping on hers. "I love you, too, Teresa. But I think you're a little sleep deprived," he added, tugging on her shirt, which was stuck to her skin.

She laughed and kissed him again. "Sorry for barging in!" she teased, drawing a line up and down his back, before she almost skipped out of the bathroom, a towel in hand.

"Absolutely mad," he muttered, chuckling as he dried his curls.

* * *

A/N - This is all leading somewhere guys. Shit gets serious next chapter. ;) See you then


	5. Chapter 5

A/N - Thanks for reviews as always :) You guys ready for stuff to get serious?

Just a warning, there's a fair bit of swearing in this. And sorry for how short this is, but I split it up this way for a reason. Enjoy ;)

* * *

When Jane walked back into the bedroom, hair still damp, he found a dry Lisbon curled up on the bed, fast asleep, a smile on her face. He gently kissed her on the cheek and left her a note on the bedside table, cleaning up the broken mug before he left.

 _"_ _Had to go check in on things at work. Will be back with coffee, strawberries and a tonne of kisses shortly._

 _xx"_

* * *

She was still so happy when she woke up. The second she opened her eyes, she said his name, testing her voice, hearing it ring in the silence.

"Patrick?" she said, louder this time. Her eyes wandered over to the note on the table beside her. She grinned as she read the two short sentences.

Lisbon was about to get out of bed when she heard a soft bang. Thinking nothing of it, she got up, heading toward the kitchen. However, just before she reached the end of the hallway, what sounded like the front door being slammed open froze her on the spot. _What was that?_.

She stupidly patted around her waist, trying to reach for her gun, which obviously wasn't there; she and Jane were yet to even look at the box with all of her cop paraphernalia, including her various guns. _Not even one!_ she thought, furious at her own stupidity.

Suddenly, there were voices, and footsteps.

"Nice work, baby! I think that's a personal best!"

A chill ran down Lisbon's spine. She knew that voice from somewhere.

"This bitch won't know what hit her."

His voice brought clarity. It was Cole and Marie, the two dating car thieves who had almost killed her months ago. Weaponless, Lisbon was too frightened to continue onto the front part of the house where they were, to see exactly what they were doing.

They continued talking to each other, not bothering to lower their voices.

"Baby, can I have the gun?"

"Go grab a knife from the kitchen."

 _Crap_. They were armed… and she wasn't.

"Let's check the office first, there's probably a safe or some shit in there."

"I hope she gets home before we're finished. The stupid conniving bitch. I want to watch the life leave her eyes." They both laughed.

 _Oh no. Oh no no no._ Lisbon backed away slowly, back into the bedroom. She silently shut the door behind her, praying to God they wouldn't hear her. She was panicking; she was defenceless, she was alone, and they were going to kill her if they found her.

 _Her phone!_ At least one thing had gone right. Lisbon raced across the room to grab her cell, and dialled Jane's number. As soon as he picked up, she spoke before he could.

"Jane," she whispered, "how far are you from home?"

"Teresa? I'm in the car. About five minutes away. Didn't you see the note?"

"People have broken into the house, and I-I don't have my gun, and if they find me-"

"Lisbon, please calm down. You'll be alright, okay? Hang up and call the police, I'll be there in a minute."

"No, no, I can't hang up, Jane, I'm in the bedroom. I'm scared and I don't have my gun and-" _BANG_. Another door being slammed. "Jane! Oh my god!"

"You are going to be fine. I'm a few streets away, I promise. You're in the bedroom? Get under the bed, and hang up, and call the police."

"Fuck yes!" Cole's victory shout echoed around the house.

"Jane!"

"Lisbon! Get a grip! You are not dying! Get the hell under the bed!"

The line went dead.

* * *

A/N #2 - Confused yet? ;)


	6. Chapter 6

_The line went dead._

Jane prayed that it was because she was calling the police. He pulled into the driveway of the house. There wasn't any other cars around that were different to when he left, he was sure about that.

He took a deep breath. He needed a plan - most importantly, a weapon. She had to have something _somewhere in the car_. He searched under the seats and in the door pockets. As he popped open the glovebox, he saw the handle of a gun. _Finally!_ He was vaguely aware of how to use it; all guns were somewhat the same, right?

Gun in hand, Jane jumped out of the car. The front door was closed, so Jane took the opportunity to hide his body to one side of the surrounding wall, following what he'd seen the team do a million times over the years. He raised the gun to his chest, then pushed the door open, peeking around the door.

It was empty. No one was inside the house as far as he could see. Either that meant they'd left in the minute between the end of the phone call and him arriving, or they were further inside. And closer to Lisbon.

He moved on, making as little noise as possible, trying to hear for any sounds.

There were none. Jane first skirted around every room other than the bedroom, but nothing was out of place. Nothing had been moved or broken, and nothing had been left behind. Something was very, very wrong.

Slowly, he entered the bedroom, terrified about what he was possibly about to find.

He was alerted of faint crying from the other side of the bed. "Teresa?" he spoke quietly, walking around to see her.

Surprisingly, at the sound of his voice, she jumped then cowered away from his impending form.

"Please don't shoot me. Please don't shoot me!" she pleaded, her head turned away and her hands raised in defence.

"Teresa? It's okay. You're safe."

"I'm-I'm sorry! Just take whatever you want and leave! I haven't called the police, you can escape and-"

"Lisbon! It's me, Jane!" He was thoroughly confused as to why she hadn't realised it was him yet. He leaned forward to touch her shoulder, but she whimpered out in alarm, wriggling back.

She was crying uncontrollably at this stage. "I'm sorry for lying about why I was in jail. I'm sorry for getting you caught. Please, just let me go. Don't hurt me."

It stressed Jane to see her like this. He dropped the gun on the bed and crouched down next to her, quickly putting his hands on her shoulders.

Suddenly, it was like a spell had been lifted. Lisbon looked around, rivers of tears streaming down her face, her whole body quivering. "Jane? Where did they go? What-"

"Teresa… no one was here. The front door was unlocked but no one was in the house."

She looked at him, her face contorted in horror. "Jane… what's happening to me?"

* * *

"You've reached the 911 Ambulance Service, state your emergency."

His voice was quiet. He didn't want her to hear.

"My girlfriend was recently in a car accident where she sustained a head injury, and…" He hesitated. He didn't want to admit it.

"Yes, sir?"

"She's just had a severe episode where she auditory and visually hallucinated. It's the first time this has happened."

"We're sending a vehicle out now."

* * *

A/N - Hey guys :) Thanks for the reviews. Sorry this one is so short too, next chapter is still in progress but will be much longer. In case you're still confused, remember that Marie and Cole don't actually exist - they were part of Lisbon's coma.


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